Rose plant named ‘POULra003’

ABSTRACT

A new miniature rose plant which has abundant, red flowers and attractive foliage. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for year round production in commercial glasshouses. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Rosa hybrida.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘POULra003’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present discovery constitutes a new and distinct variety of aminiature pot rose plant which was discovered in a cultivated area. Themutation resulted from ‘POULrac’, a miniature pot rose hybridized by thesame inventors. ‘POULrac’ is described and illustrated in U.S. PlantPat. No. 11,543, and issued on Oct. 3, 2000. The new rose varietyresulted from a naturally occurring mutation of unknown causation on abranch of ‘POULrac’. ‘POULra003’ is distinguished from ‘POULrac’ by thelighter red flowers compared to the darker red flowers of ‘POULrac’. Therose plant of the present discovery has a unique combination ofcharacteristics which are outstanding in the new variety and whichdistinguish it from the original rose ‘POULrac’ as well as all othervarieties which we are aware of. For example, the new variety has:

1. Uniform and abundant red flowers;

2. Vigorous and compact growth;

3. Year-round flowering under glasshouse conditions;

4. Suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots;

5. Durable flowers and foliage which make a variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously availablecommercial cultivars of this type and distinguish ‘POULra003’ from allother varieties of which we are aware.

The resulting mutation was selected and evaluations were conducted onthe resulting rose plants in a controlled environment.

Asexual reproduction of ‘POULra003’ by cuttings and traditional buddingwas first done by L. Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery inFredensborg, Denmark in June, 1999. This initial and other subsequentpropagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated thatthe characteristics of ‘POULra003’ are true to type and are transmittedfrom one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems of ‘POULra003’.Specifically illustrated in SHEET 1:

1. Stem showing branching and the attachment of leaves, buds, andpeduncles:

2. Flower bud, partially opened bud, and open bloom;

3. Flower petals, detached;

4. Sepals, receptacle, and pedicel;

5. Stem as well as a bare stem exhibiting thorns;

6. Leaves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of ‘POULra003’, as observed in its growthin greenhouses in Burlington, Canada, on plants aged sixteen weeks. Rootdevelopment for the observed plant typically takes 8 to 10 weeks. Colorreferences are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London,England) Colour Chart, 1995, except where common terms of color areused.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety‘POULrac’, a rose variety from the same inventors described andillustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,543 and issued on Oct. 3, 2000 arecompared to ‘POULra003’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘POULra003’ ‘POULrac’ Bud color at ¼ Red Group 51A Red Group 53Ato Red- opening Purple Group 60B Inner side of petal Red Group 53CBetween Red Group 46A surface, open and Red-Purple Group bloom 60B Outerside of petal Red Group 53C Red Group 46A surface, open bloom

Classification:

(Genus, Species, Cultivar).—Rosa Hybrida POULra003.

Commercial.—Miniature.

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

Blooming habit: Continuous.

Flower bud:

Size.—Upon opening, 18-20 mm in length from base of receptacle to end ofbud.

Bud form.—Short and globular.

Bud color.—As sepals unfold, Red Group 51A. Red Group 51A at ¼ opening.

Sepals.—Yellow-Green Group 146B. Weak foliaceous appendages on three ofthe five sepals. Surfaces of sepals moderately pubescent. Stipitateglands present along margins. Sepals are 18-22 mm long and 5-7 mm wide.

Receptacle.—Surface: Smooth. Shape: Urn-shaped. Size: Small. 4-5 mm(l)×4-5 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.

Peduncle.—Surface: Generally smooth with a limited number of stipitateglands. Length: 35-50 mm average length. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A.Strength: Erect.

Borne.—Multiple buds, 2-5 buds per stem.

Anthocyanin.—None observed.

Flower bloom:

Fragrance.—None.

Duration.—As a pot plant, flowers last from 16 to 18 days. As a cutflower 5 to 7 days. The blooms have a duration on the plant ofapproximately 10 to 12 days.

Size.—Medium for an 8-11 cm pot rose. Average flower diameter is 30-35mm when open.

Form.—Shape of flower when viewed from the side: Upon opening, upperpart: Flat. Upon opening, lower part: Flattened convex. Open flower,upper part: Flat. Open flower, lower part: Flattened convex.

Petalage.—Very double: 40-48 petals under normal conditions with 0-5petaloids.

Color:

Upon opening, petals.—Outermost petals: Outer Side: Red Group 51A. InnerSide: Red Group 50A-51A. Innermost petals: Outer Side: Red Group 51A.Inner Side: Red Group 50A.

Upon opening, basal petal spots.—Outermost petals: Outer Side:Green-White Group 157A. Inner Side: Green-White Group 157C. Innermostpetals: Outer Side: Yellow-Green Group 154C. Inner Side: Green-YellowGroup 1D.

After opening, petals.—Outermost petals: Outer Side: Red Group 53C.Inner Side: Red Group 53C. Innermost petals: Outer Side: Red Group 54A.Inner Side: Red Group 54A.

After opening, basal petal spots.—Outermost petals: Outer Side:Green-Yellow Group 1D. Inner Side: Green-Yellow Group 1C-D. Innermostpetals: Outer Side: Yellow-Green Group 145D. Inner Side: Yellow-GreenGroup 145C.

General tonality: On open flower Red Group 52A. Flower tone is constantas flowers age with no perceptible color change.

Petals:

Petal reflex.—Somewhat.

Petal edge.—Slightly ruffled.

Shape.—Deltoid; base is flat at union with peduncle.

Petaloids.—Present; Quantity: 0-5.

Thickness.—Thin.

Arrangement.—Imbricated.

Size.—Petals are 15 mm long and 10-12 mm wide.

Reproductive organs:

Pollen.—Color: Greyed-Orange Group 163C. Quantity: Average.

Anthers.—Size: Small. Color: Greyed-Yellow Group 161C. Quantity: Veryabundant.

Filaments.—Color: Yellow-Orange Group 17C.

Stigmas.—Slightly superior in location to anthers. Color: Yellow-OrangeGroup 16B.

Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157C.

Hip formation.—Not observed.

PLANT

Plant growth: Vigorous and compact. When grown as an 8-11 cm pot plant,the average height of the plant is 16-20 cm and the average width is20-23 cm.

Stems:

Color.—Young wood: Yellow-Green Group 144A. Older wood: Yellow-GreenGroup 144A.

Prickles.—Incidence: Moderate. Size: Average length: 2-4 mm. Color:Greyed-Yellow Group 160A. Shape: Linear to slightly concave.

Surface.—Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.

Length.—Stem length is typically 20 to 25 cm.

Diameter.—Stem diameter is typically 4 to 6 mm.

Plant foliage: Typical number of leaflets on normal leaves in middle ofthe stem: 5-7 leaflets.

Leaf size.—Small. 50-60 mm (l)×30-35 mm (w).

Abundance.—Average.

Color.—Mature Foliage: Upper Leaf Surface: Yellow-Green Group 147A.Lower Leaf Surface: Yellow-Green Group 147B. Juvenile foliage: UpperLeaf Surface: Yellow Green Group 146A. Lower Leaf Surface Yellow-Green146C-D. Anthocyanin intonation: None.

Plant leaves and leaflets:

Stipules.—Size: 6-7 mm (l)×3-4 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.Stipitate glands: Along margins. Anthocyanin: None.

Petiole.—Length: 12-16 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144C. Underneath:Smooth. Margins: Stipitate glands present. Anthocyanin: Stipitate glandsalong margins have intonations of Greyed-Red Group 181A.

Rachis.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 146B. Underneath: Generally smoothwith a few small prickles. Margins: Stipitate glands present.Anthocyanin: Stipitate glands and margins have intonations of Greyed-RedGroup 181A.

Leaflet.—Edge: Finely serrated. Shape: Ovate. Other: Matte finish andthin.

Disease resistance: Above average resistance to mildew, black spot, andBotrytis under normal growing conditions in Burlington, Canada.

Cold hardiness: The variety ‘POULra003’ has been found to be resistantto damage from cold, heat and drought damage in USDA Zone 7.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the miniatureclass, substantially as herein illustrated and described as a distinctand novel rose variety due to its abundant red flowers, vigorous growth,compact habit, suitability for production from softwood cuttings inpots, and durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitablefor distribution in the floral industry.